Drawing on the Effort-Driven Rewards Circuit to Chase the Blues Away

A number of small studies claim that art therapy reduces depression through helping people with mood disorders resolve emotional problems and release repressed feelings. But maybe that is not really why art making helps to alter mood. The answer may literally be in your hands.

In a recent post, “Where Depression Might Reside,” Peter Kramer notes that both researchers and clinicians are increasingly pointing to an area of the brain known as the frontal cortex. In a similar vein, psychologist and neuroscientist Kelly Lambert proposes that the accumbens-striatal-cortical network—a system in the brain that connects movement, emotion, and thinking—is the underlying source of symptoms associated with depression. While the pre-frontal cortex in linked to the inability to concentrate (a symptom associated with depression), there are other parts of the brain that are involved, too, according to Lambert’s research. Those areas account for slow responses (accumbens), perceived loss of pleasure (striatum), and negative feelings (limbic system). These areas form what Lambert defines as the effort-driven rewards circuit.

What interests me as an art therapist and expressive therapist is Lambert’s finding that a well-engaged “effort-driven rewards circuit” helps us effectively meet emotional challenges, thus ameliorating depressive symptoms to some extent. Brain-wise, moving our hands activates larger areas of the cortex than movement of other parts of the body such as our legs or back muscles. And more importantly, what drives that effort-driven rewards circuit are physical activities that involve our hands, particularly activities that produce tangible products that we can see, touch, and enjoy. While Lambert mentions knitting or tending a garden as effort-driven reward-giving activities, I can’t help but think that this brain-hand connection applies to art making as well. “Making things” such as a drawing, painting, collage, weaving, or sculpture involve hands-on investment in an object with tangible results that give pleasure to or have meaning for their creators.

My arts in healthcare colleague Ellen Dissanayake says that art making evolved not only out of psychological need, but also as a “proto-aesthetic operation” involving using one's hands for elaboration, repetition, and manipulation, starting in early childhood. Ellen’s theory is based on how cultures throughout history have used the arts for connection, communication, and curative powers. In contrast, the 21st century seems to be a time that

Blackberries and cell phone, computer, and plasma screens increasingly take humans away from those physical, effort-driven, proto-aesthetic operations – in short, away from making things for pleasure, reward, and meaning. Lambert claims, and perhaps rightly so, that this contemporary trend is sapping our mental well being and reducing an innate resistance to depression.

So does “making things” offer a possible intervention for depression? It seems it might, at least as part of a program to treat what is not always alleviated by pharmacology plus talk therapy. While the arts serve as a means of self-expression and perhaps emotional reparation, we humans have consistently returned to the pleasure of crafting things with our hands for some more fundamental reason. Lambert’s research also brings new questions to the perennial debate about connections between depression and artists (more about that in a future post). But for now, it is exciting to know that we all may have access to an internal effort-driven rewards circuit to simply chase our blues away.

I'm curious, if the movement of hands stimulated the brain and alleviates depression, then shouldn't someone who types a lot be less depressed, when in fact many professionals are depressed? I write creatively, so I find depression alleviated by getting it out that way. Perhaps that is also why artists are percieved as more depressed, because we are better at expressing it, not because we actually are more proned to it.

I think you are right about art alleviating depression. You see it used in patient in occupational and physical therapy who are depressed from their condition of disability. Thank you for the article.

I have to agree with you about writing. In fact, every time I write this blog, I feel good! Your comment have me thinking more about just what the difference-- if there is one-- might be. I have kept journals for years, but they have both art and writing in them. Thanks for sharing an intriguing notion!

Great find - too bad the study authors did not also see the relationship to the arts and creation.

As to the question about typing. The finger usage is different from that of creating art*. In typing there is not a relationship of the fingers with each other; they all act independently in sequence. This is generally thought to be a left-brained logic activity, even though both hands are participating. The action is more like micro-second timing of switching from one hemisphere to the other rather than whole-brain integration in which both hemispheres are cooperating at the same time. There is no crossing of the body's midline for simultaneous cross-lateral integration of both hemispheres.

Artistic creation involves the fingers and the rest of the hand in team - interdependnece or whole-brained integration. A concert, if you will, in which both hemispheres work together at the same time. Insight is linked with sequential understanding of how things work and go together, yet not so rigidly patterned that spontaneous change is inhibited, opening us to endlessly newer insights and creative discoveries.

In general neurophysiology teaches us that the right hand is connected to the left brain and the left hand is connected to the right brain. Therfore we tend to think that this is whole-brained when we are typing, yet it is truly sequential as noted above. Dr. Paul Dennison of Educational Kinesiology/Brain Gym has been teaching his discovery that the fingers of each hand are linked to the same-side hemisphere (right hand fingers link to the right hemisphere and visa versa for the left). This might imply that typing has even less potential to be thought of as an integrated brain activity.

And the thumbs? Dr. Dennison has discovered that the thumbs are cross-linked to the opposite hemispheres. Thus an activity that uses the integration of both thumbs and fingers such as art creation or hand-writing, as opposed to printing, is whole-brained functioning.

Why desire whole-brained functioning? Isn't it just fine if both hemispheres are working back and forth? How does this relate to depression?

Consider some of the symptoms of depression: lethargy, feeling overwhelmed by details, or the opposite of being spaced-out and missing details. Then we tend to function out of the survival or old brain/reptilian brain to keep us going (the triune brain model). One of the most common interventions for depression is to get people moving again - walks and activities, often art activities. Walking is a major brain integrative activity epecially if your arms ase swinging with the opposite hand moving forward with the opposite foot moving forward (eg., left arm and right foot). Generally being overwhelmed by details can be a sign that you are 'stuck' in your left or logic brain: too much to do, too many lists, what ifs, and oh I have to take care of this and that and that. Spaced-out, when you are missing the details, generally means you are 'stuck' in the right or gestalt hemisphere such that you are missing appointments, out of sync, and clumsy enough to trip over your own feet.

Cross-lateral movement (as described above) and other creative activities stimulate both hemispheres at the same time and involve both hands and a focused mind. Integrated movement and activities require us to function in the higher centers of the brain moving us out of survival mode into the relational centers and the frontal cortex which releases our abilities to move and think at the same time with ease, find new perceptions and clarity, making decisions and acting on them appropriately.

Sounds a lot like the benefits we find for ourselves when we create art doesn't it?

*When I use the word 'art' please understand that I am speaking of all art forms: music, dance, writing, visual arts and more.

Thanks for the wonderful and thought-provoking explanation! As you can tell, neuroscience influences how I think about the healing arts. It's fascinating to me that recent and current information on the brain explains much of why art helps. I really like what you have observed about "relational centers"--the arts naturally tap relational aspects, but not only in their functional aspects, but in many cases, in how we relate to each other through art forms. And some art forms more so than others-- or at least, in different ways. So much to think about, so little time! Thanks again for the great comments.

I've been a potter for more than six years now. I've been diognosed with schizo-affective disorder for just as long. during times of sickness i am not able to focus enough to work effectivly with clay.
Which really gets me down. I feel the most productive when i am in the studio. When i am deep within the creative process, i am absolutly elated, so much that people think i'm on drugs. I have noticed during short breaks from school or from art making in general, that i become depressed as well as delusional, more so than normal...normal for me anyway. i lose my focus compeletly.

dealing with the stress of being a full time art student is donting at times, but as long as i am creating work i feel able to cope with that stress.

reading this blog gave me insperation to continue to make work throughout whatever life throws my way.
i would love to stay posted on the continued resarch in this subject.

Many things such as handcrafts (drawing, knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving) and writing are considered "positive addictions" and bring out that euphoric feeling. We know this is true - look at facebook and twitter!!!

It's no wonder why I feel more accomplished when I write my stories on paper rather than the computer. Since typing doesn't really use the full motion of your hands (only fingers), I can see why it doesn't give you the same sense of fulfillment.

My family suffers from many forms of mental illness. I personally feel that I have always been aware (from very early on) that my mood and ability to create effectively have a deep rooted connection. Since I have officially been diagnosed myself this connection has been made even more clear. I understand now why in periods of stress I would look to knitting and sewing as a way to lift my spirits. This article demonstrates further how the lack of appreciation for arts and crafts as a valued way of spending your time, money and efforts has possibly led to the higher rates of depression.The natural high of imagining a new project, implementing the plan to accomplish it, problem solve the sticking points, and taking pride and satisfaction in the end result, has always driven me on to more and more difficult and more thought involving projects. The article also suggest why the arts need to continue to be available to our children so they might learn early how important creating can be to their spirits and the development of their imagination.

I am a rape survivor and one of the most powerful things I did was make myself a pagent sash that said rape survivor on it, and walked wearing it at athe 7th Annual San Francisco Walk Against Rape with a gold sun goddes mask and skimpy pagent type attire. I just had the seed of an idea. I wanted to do something to illustrate the double standard of how females are both objectified and villfied for what they wear, depending on circumstances.

ART CAN ALSO BE THEATRE OR PERFORMANCE. . role playing too.

But making the sash with my hands was the part that got the gunk out of my soul. It was very scary to face those words and that fear or putting it out in public. Cutting out every letter R_A_P_E S_U_R_V_I_V_O_R_ from sparking black fabric and pasting to to a beautiful gold and white sash was very moving. Eventually, I could see that what happened to me was only a LABEL, only WORDS really. Just letters that could fall away if I didn't pay too much attention to them. It was a moment in the past, a fleeting moment that defines you, very much like winning a pagent.

Because I had moved through some heavy emotions making my sash, I did not feel ashamed when a report threw a microphone in my face. I was able to tell my story in front of a camera and hold my composure and explain I was reclaiming my body to get my message across, lol!

It was so healing, especially when other survivors ask to pose for pictures with me, or to take my picture holding the sign, clothing does not provoke violence.

There is art, then there are craft and there is a difference. This article is more about crafts. Craft heals yourself, and the process of making my sash was a craft. BUt the courage to get out there and wear my sash out in public turned it into art. Real art gets OTHER people changing and thinking.

ART is as unique as you are!! Art is anything original creative that comes from your soul. If you think you cannot heal with art therapy because you are not an artist, Think again. Art come from the spirit, and crafts come through the hands. I wanted to make that distinction.

So if you make crafts, consider distributing them to people less fortunate, maybe cards to seniors or knitting hats for cancer survivor. . .and you heal not only yourself but somebody else! Art is wonderful when you spread the love ;-)